Nexus 5: How to Sideload Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OTA Update

Google released Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow this week and if you don’t want to wait for the Nexus 5 OTA update then let me show you how to sideload it.

Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow is now available for download and OTA updates are being pushed out to Nexus devices as we speak. Google can take up to 2 months to complete a roll out for an update if something goes wrong and they have to halt it to fix something. If everything goes smoothly then they try to complete a roll out in about a month.

A month can feel like eternity when you’re checking for that OTA update every day and thankfully there is a way to force the OTA update onto your device.

This is called sideloading an update and it can seem technical and difficult if you have never done it before. Heck, even if you have done it in the past, there are quite a number of steps involved and it can still be confusing to some. This is why I love writing these tutorials for Android because I can keep them all archived and organized so they are easy to find and access.

If you have the Nexus 5 and you are on Android 6.0 Marshmallow right now, then you can follow these steps below to sideload the 6.0.1 OTA update.

Note:
I do would like to point out that you do not need root access to do this and it will only work if your current version of Android is 6.0 Marshmallow with the build number MRA58N. To check what build number you have, simply launch the Settings application, scroll down and tap on the About Phone option, and look for the Build Number entry. As long as you are on build number MRA58N then this will update you to Android 6.0.1 build number MMB29K.

Nexus 5 Sideload Android 6.0.1

1. Download and Install the Google USB Drivers on the PC
2. Reboot the PC After Installation has Completed
3. Download the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OTA Update for the Nexus 5 to the PC
4. Enable Developer Mode on the Nexus 5
5. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the Nexus 5
6. Download and Install the Minimal ADB & Fastboot Tools on the PC
7. Double-Click the ADB & Fastboot Tools Shortcut it Created
8. Then Type the Following Command in the Command Prompt. . .
9. adb devices
10. . . .And Press Enter on the Keyboard
11. Connect the Nexus 5 to the PC with a USB Cable
12. Tap on the ‘OK’ Option to Allow USB Debugging Access from the PC(if prompted)
13. Disconnect the Nexus 5 from the PC
14. Boot the Nexus 5 into Fastboot Mode
15. Press the Volume Down Button Until You Highlight the ‘Recovery’ Option
16. Then Press the Power Button to Select This Option
17. Wait Until You See the Android Figure with an Exclamation Mark
18. Then Press and Hold the Power Button Before Pressing the Volume Up Button
19. At the Recovery Mode Menu, Press the Volume Down Button and Highlight the ‘Apply Update from ADB’ Option
20. Then Press the Power Button to Select This Option
21. Connect the Nexus 5 to the PC with the USB Cable Again
22. Copy This ZIP File into the ADB & Fastboot Tools Directory
23. For Me, this is “C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot”
24. Rename the File to “otaupdate.zip” (without the quotes)
25. Type the Following Command into the Command Prompt. . .
26. adb sideload otaupdate.zip
27. . . .Then Press Enter on the Keyboard
28. Wait for the Copying to Complete
29. Then Wait for the Update to be Installed
30. When Finished, Reboot the Nexus 5 and be Patient During the First Boot Cycle

Explanation

Unless you have done these steps in the past, you will need to install the USB drivers on the PC and enable developer mode as well as USB Debugging on the Nexus 5 before we can start. Once that is done, you’ll also need to install ADB & Fastboot tools(again, only if you haven’t done this in the past). Now, everyone will need to double-click that ADB & Fastboot shortcut so that it will launch a command prompt and take us right where those tools are. You can launch the command prompt and browse to the ADB/Fastboot installed directory if you know how though.

Once the command prompt is up, execute the adb devices command so that you can start up the ADB service. From here, you’ll want to connect the Nexus 5 to the PC and if you are prompted, you’ll need to allow USB Debugging access to the device from the PC. If you have done this in the past(and you told Android to always trust this PC) then you won’t see this prompt. Next, you’ll want to disconnect the Nexus 5 from the PC and the boot it up into Fastboot Mode. From here, you’ll want to boot over into Recovery Mode just like I explain in the guide above.

Once you are in Recovery Mode, you’ll need to highlight the ‘Apply Update from ADB’ option and then press the Power button to select it. Now, you’ll want to download the Android 6.0.1 OTA update from the link in the tutorial and move/copy it to the same directory that we have our ADB and Fastboot tools in. You’ll also want to rename it to something simple but recognizable like ‘otaupdate.zip’ after the file is in the new folder. We can then turn our attention back to the command prompt and execute the command adb sideload otaupdate.zip. You’ll need to change the otaupdate.zip part if you decided to name it something different.

Once you press enter on the keyboard, it will upload the ota update to the Nexus 5, then it will start installing the update. This can take some time so just be patient while the computer and smartphone does its thing. Once you are told the installation has finished, go ahead and reboot the Nexus 5(by either selecting the reboot option or by pressing and holding the Power button for a few seconds), and then wait for the Nexus 5 to reboot. This first boot up will take some time as Android is still setting up the OS and your applications.